Classic Whiskey Cocktails: American Style

Whiskey, the epic booze of the great American West. It's what the dust-covered cattle punchers and squint-eyed outlaws called for when they sidled up to the bar. And it was the belt of choice for tough-guy private-eyes of hardboiled fiction and American film noir. Yes, American culture is steeped in whiskey.

Classic Manhattan | Photo by Meredith

Bourbon or Whiskey?

Kentucky bourbon and Tennessee whiskey share much in common. They're both made from a mash of at least 51 percent corn, and they're both aged in charred oak barrels, which give them a mild, smoky-sweet character. Here are a handful of our favorite bourbon cocktails.

But there is a difference between Tennessee Whiskey and bourbon. Though both are charcoal filtered, Tennessee whiskey uses charcoal made exclusively from the Volunteer State's sugar maple trees. Try Tennessee whiskey in cocktails like Lynchburg Lemonade Cocktail and Apple Jack. Can you taste a difference? Is the Tennessee whiskey a bit smokier?

Top-Rated Blended Whiskey Cocktails

Blended whiskeys were Prohibition's parting gift to America. With repeal in 1933, whiskey makers were eager to meet the newly legal demand for booze. But it was bottom-of-the-barrel time in their warehouses. With reserves running low, they hit upon mixing spirits together.

Don't Forget the Ice!
The best tasting cocktails use fresh ice made from pure, filtered water. Bring the water to a quick boil for best results. Then, make it the morning of the day you plan to mix your cocktails, and you’ll enjoy the freshest, most delicious cocktails.